Gummed-tape-affixing device



.79 1a L/A W/I/IIII/I/I/l/I/ v abto Mmr Filed March 1924 R MASON GUMMEDTAPE AFFIXING DEVICE Oct. 4, 1927.

Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

1,644,262 PATENT. OFFICE.

ROGER MASON,- OF WESTF IELD, NEW JERSEY, A SIGNOR TO THE WESTERN UN IONTELE- GRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GUMMED TAI'EAFFIXIN G DEVICE.

Application filed March 3, 1924. Serial No. 696,623.

Various devices or tools for alfixing gummed strips have been proposedand some of them have been tried but in so far as 1 am aware none ofthem have been able to supply the proper amount of moisture and in aneven or uniform manner; and no provision has been made for accuratelyregulating or adjusting the amount of a mois ture supplied.

The main purpose of my invention is to provide a moistening and aflixingtool in which the gummed tape is guided over a wick located in a box orchamber separate from the water supply reservoir, and *is maintained atthe proper degree of saturation by automatic means controlled by therate at which the moisture is withdrawn by the passing tape, the flowfrom the reservoir being cut off when the desired amount of liquid is inthe wick chamber. I further provide means for varying the amount ofcontact engagement between the passing tape, and the wick or moisturesupplying medium, and also for withdrawing any excess of moisture fromthe outgoing strip.

In the following detailed description I shall refer to the accompanyingdrawing, in which.

Figure l is a perspective View showing a tool or device embodying myinvention;

' Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing one manner of applying a gummedtape to a backing sheet;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the'device;

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary top plan view of that portion containing thewick box or chamber;

Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views on the lines 5-5 and 66respectively of Fig. 3.

My tape moistening and aflixing device comprises a closed hollow bodyportion 1, forming a water reservoir, having a filling opening 2, closedby a cap or screw 3, and of a suitable size and configuration to begrasped in the hand of the operator. The forward end of the body portionis elongated to form a guiding nose member 4 and is provided with a wellor recess to receive the wick box 7 which contains the felt wick orother moisture carrying medium 8. The

' the material.

wick box is connected to the reservoir by means of two or more tubes, Inthe design shown two tubes 9 and 10 form water and air supply channelsrespectively, the latter being preferably of larger diameter than theother. These tubes may be of metal inserted or embedded in the materialof the body or they maybe holes drilled through The tube or channel 9connects the bottom of the wick chamber with the lower side of the mainreservoir when the parts are in operative position, while the airchannel 10 extends upwardly at a greater angle so that its upper freeend israised considerably above the outer end of the water channel. Thewater, therefore, will naturally flow through the lower channel, sinceit is heavier than the air and furthermore, the mouth of the air channel10 connects with the upper portion of the wick chamber where the wickdries out sooner and hence this channel is exposed to the air while thelower channel is still filled with water. As water is drawn by thecapillary action of the wick through the water tube 9, its volume isreplaced by a corresponding amount of air passing into the reservoirthrough the air tube 10. This continues until the wick is saturated anda film of water extends across the mouth of the air tube 10, thussealing the tube to the passage of air. By supplying both an air channeland a water channel connecting the water reservoir with the wickchamber, and having the mouth of the air channel above the mouth of thewater channel, I have provided .a structure which automatically operatesto supply water intermittently to the wick.

As previously stated, the accurate regulation of the water supplied tothe wick is of primary importance. This is impossible when the wick dipsdirectly into the main reservoir and also when the moistener consists ofa revoluble wheel or drum which is partially submerged in a water pan.In my device water can only pass through the sup ply channel 9 when airis permitted to em ter through the air inlet channel 10. It is evidentthat the air tube or channel will be sealed'as soon as the water in thewick covers the mouth of the tube 10 in the wall of the wick box orchamber 7. Whenever the water line extends this high in the wick box,there is danger that the film of water forming the seal over the mouthof the air tube 10 may no develop into a drop of water in the tubeitself, not readily removable, closing the pas- I sage to air. .I haveovercome this difficulty .by inserting a wire-gauze liner 12 between thewick and the inner side ofthe wick boxso that this gauze or reticulatedsheet forms ascreen across the mouths of the tubes 9 andlO. Now as thewater is drawn upward- Ily by capillary action throizglh the wick (thisaction perhaps also being e anced along the inner side Wall of the wickbox by small in terstices formed by the fine meshes of the wire gauzescreen), the meshes of the screen become covered by a film of waterwhich is sufficient to form a'closure across the mouth of tube 10, asindicated in F1g..5, thereby shutting off the entrance of air andpreventing any further flow of water through the wick has diminished toan extent which is not suflicient to maintain the film of water acrossthe mouth of the tube 10, air will be drawn into the reservoir, allowinga corresponding quantity of water to pass through the tube 9, which willbe taken up by the wick and the process described will be repeated.

It is desirable to accurately regulate the amount of wick surfaceengaged by the tape .and for this purpose I provide an adjustable gaugeplate 14 which bears against the lower side of the tape and determinesthe arc of contact between the tape and wick. The amount of contact maybe varied by adjusting the height of the plate by means of the screw 15,which is threaded in the lug 13. The upper edge of the plate 14 alsoserves as a dam to remove any surplus of water that adheres to the tape.The lateral walls of the wick box are provided with extensions or wings7 which serve as guides for the tape. They also prevent the escape ofany water from the wick box in case the device is laid upon its sidewhen not in use, not only enclosing the wick but also serving to hold adrop of water that may accumulate at the lower edge of the wick in theangle between the wick and the wing by surface tension. This minorfunction is important however as it avoids any danger of wetting of thedesk or papers when the apparatus is laid down on its side.

The gummed tape 18, which may unwind from a reel or be received directlyfrom a telegraph message printer, is threaded through a channel 19,which may be formed in the upper side of the body of the device, andassed under a tension shoe 20, pivotally eld between the cars 21 andlightly I pressed against the tape by a-spring 23. Af-

ter passing overthe wick 8 and the dam 14,

the tape emerges through the slotbetween the end 4* of the nose memberand the hose rod 25 carried thereby. Thebottom of the channellfil isprovided with ridges 22 to reduce the friction on the tape. The upperside of thenose piece is likewise provided with ridges 22" to hold themoistened tape- The lower side of the tension shoe 20 is out of contactwith the wall of the nose.

centrally grooved, as is also the nose rod 25, to prevent any smearing,of the printed characters upon the upper ungu'mmed side of the tapesince the ink may not be 'dry or the characters may printed in copyingink I The operation of apparatus will be ap-- parent from the abovedescription and the drawings. If for instance the'gummed tape bears aprinted'telegraph message, the forward end of the tape as it emergesfrom the nose of the apparatus is pressed against a blank telegraphmessage sheet preferably bymeans of a small presser plate mounted on athimble placed on the left forefinger and the moistening and tapefeedingdevice is moved across the sheet with the right hand. The tapemay be pressed down by' the nose of the moistening device as indicatedin Fig. 2. As the right hand edge of the sheet is reached the tape issevered and they process is repeated until the full message has beenaffixed to the blank sheet, each section of the tape forming a line ofthe message.

1. A gummed tape moistener, comprising a hollow body portionconstituting a handle and a water container or reservoir, a wick holderor chamber, and separate water and air passages connecting said wickchamber with said reservoir, said water passage entering said chamber.below said air passage.

2. A gummed tapemoistener, comprising a hollow body portion constitutinga handle and a water container or reservoir, a wick holder or chamber,separate water and air passages connecting said wick chamber with saidreservoir, a wick or absorbent member located in said chamber, and meansfor guiding a tape across and in contact with the exposed end of saidwick.

3. In a gummed tape moistener as set forth in claim- 2, a plateadjustable with respect to said wick for varying the area of contactbetween the wick and the tape.

4. In a gummed tape moistener as set forth in claim 2, a plateadjustable with respect to said wick for varying the area of contactbetween the wick and the tape, said wick holder having upstanding wingsdisposed upon either side of the wick.

5. A gummed tape moistener, comprising a hollow handle portioncontaining a water reservoir, a wick holder and a wick of absorbentmaterial therein, tubular channels connecting said wick holder and saidreservoir and constituting air and water passages respectively, and areticulated screen interposed between said wick and the wall of saidwick holder and extending across the openings leading into saidchannels.

6. A gummed tape moistener comprising a hollow body portion constitutinga handle and a water container or reservoir, a wick holder or chamberand an absorbent wick located therein, communicating means for water andair respectively between said wick holder and said reservoir, said bodyportion having a passage for guiding a tape across said wick, saidpassage being formed with ridges or projections to maintain the tape outof contact with the walls of the passage.

7. In a device as set forth in claim 6,an adjustable dam for engagingthe tape as it leaves the wick.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROGER MASON.

